I’ve just started The Long Drop by Denise Mina which is due to be published on 2 March 2017. The story is based upon Peter Manual, a killer in 1950’s Glasgow

Blurb

William Watt wants answers about his family’s murder. Peter Manuel has them. But Peter Manuel is a liar.

William Watt is an ordinary businessman, a fool, a social climber.

Peter Manuel is a famous liar, a rapist, a criminal. He claims he can get hold of the

gun used to murder Watt’s family.

One December night in 1957, Watt meets Manuel in a Glasgow bar to find out what he knows.

Based on true events, The Long Drop is an extraordinarily unsettling, evocative and compelling novel from a writer at the height of her powers. NetGalley

I have just finished The Thirteen Problems by Agatha Christie another one to add to my Mount TBR Challenge as this story featuring Miss Marple was plucked from my own bookshelf.

Blurb

The Tuesday Night Club is a venue where locals challenge Miss Marple to solve recent crimes…
One Tuesday evening a group gathers at Miss Marple’s house and the conversation turns to unsolved crimes…
The case of the disappearing bloodstains; the thief who committed his crime twice over; the message on the death-bed of a poisoned man which read ‘heap of fish’; the strange case of the invisible will; a spiritualist who warned that ‘Blue Geranium’ meant death…
Now pit your wits against the powers of deduction of the ‘Tuesday Night Club’. Amazon

Next I’m planning to read Let The Dead Speak by Jane Casey which is going to be published on 9 March 2017 which seems to be a busy day in the world of book publishing.

Blurb

When eighteen-year-old Chloe Emery returns to her West London home she finds her mother missing, the house covered in blood. Everything points to murder, except for one thing: there’s no sign of the body.

London detective Maeve Kerrigan and the homicide team turn their attention to the neighbours. The ultra-religious Norrises are acting suspiciously; their teenage daughter and Chloe Emery definitely have something to hide. Then there’s William Turner, once accused of stabbing a schoolmate and the neighborhood’s favorite criminal. Is he merely a scapegoat, or is there more behind the charismatic facade?

As a body fails to materialize, Maeve must piece together a patchwork of testimonies and accusations. Who is lying, and who is not? And soon Maeve starts to realize that not only will the answer lead to Kate Emery, but more lives may hang in the balance. Goodreads

I’d definitely be interested in the Long Drop as Peter Manuel was very local to me (I’m only a couple of miles from Birkenshaw). According to my parents who were kids at the time he was kind of like the bogey man for them. My mum actually worked for the police about a decade later so met some of the people who knew the case.

Goodness, three goodies this week! Fortunately I’ve read the Agatha Christie and I’ll be starting Jane Casey soon – so it just remains to be seen if you’ll talk me into Denise Mina. Peter Manuel was still talked about a lot as a sort of bogey man when I was a kid in Glasgow in the 60s, but I never really knew any details of what he did…

Yes, I’m not sure mine do… although I might be more worried if they did!!
I’m so looking forward to the Jane Casey – am trying to clear some time so I can properly settle down to enjoy it – my plans keep getting scuppered though 🙂

The Denise Mina book sounds really interesting, I’m definitely going to look out for this one once it’s published. I’ve got all the Maeve Kerrigan series by Jane Casey on my TBR and shockingly still haven’t read any of them – I really must start the series soon, especially now I know book 6 is out very soon! I hope you enjoy Let the Dead Speak this week.

I bought the first in the series so long ago and I think it’s one of those things where I know I’m going to love it so I’ve been saving it for the right time. I’m trying to stop doing this now and just read my books as and when so I’ll definitely be getting to the first book soon.

I love all three authors, so it sounds like a darned good week to me!
I am currently reading an anthology of Lithuanian women writers translated into English. Some are short stories, some fragments of novels, some essays, so it’s a bit of a mix really, but a great introduction and perfect for my #EU27 project.
Just before that I finished City of Drowned Souls by Chris Lloyd, set in Catalonia, which I quite enjoyed for the insight into a culture I am unfamiliar with. Next up is probably Ricarda Huch’s The Last Summer, but I keep getting new books to review…

Gotta love the murder mysteries! The Agatha Christie one seems the most intriguing to me, although I’m a bit burnt after having read And Then There Were None. It was interesting enough, but I had hoped to be more suspicious of the characters. I felt like I want pulled in enough directions despite having the opportunities to blame many characters in some way or another. Was this one a bit better?

I’ve had the Mina for yonks – I won it in a competition on NetGalley but didn’t want to start it, then not be able to review it for ages! My Dad’s friend, whose always lived on Mull, told us Peter Manuel worked in a sawmill on Mull for a period – lots of “Ooh! Creepy!” comments from us. It was good fortune for Denise Mina that miniseries was on recently, as it brought his name up again. I thought Martin Compston was excellent in it. He’s still, I think, the only person in the UK to go on trial simultaneously for eight murders (although he did get a not guilty on the first one.) His last words were, allegedly, “Turn the radio up and I’ll go quietly.” His crimes were abhorrent, but so is the death penalty.
I have the Casey – I must catch up! I’ve decided to pass them onto my daughter too, who’s making fast work of books with the Kindle Fire we got her at Christmas; I think she’ll like them although the Freida Klein series remains her favourite (I think she’d like Kate Rhodes and Claire McGowan too, what do you think?)
I always love a Christie – that’s not one I’ve read. I tend to snap them up second-hand, if I spot any I haven’t read, especially if the covers are old ones!

You will love the Denise Mina and I’m glad I had some of the background from the TV drama as it gave me some context as I’d never heard of him before!
If your daughter enjoys the Freida Klein I’m sure she’ll enjoy Kate Rhodes (I need to catch up on these too) she’ll probably enjoy Sharon Bolton too?
All my Agatha Christie books are second/hand although I have to confess the font in this one was a bit small for my poor eyes!! I love the old covers too.